filmmaking tips and tricks Archive
Blackmagic’s latest offering, the Pocket Cinema Camera 4K, has been garnering massive attention throughout 2018 that started right after its official announcement back at NAB in April. Now that the camera is already in the hands of early adopters, many users are still discovering new tricks, techniques, and
Over the years, DaVinci Resolve has progressively evolved from being an advanced color grading platform to a full-featured piece of post-production software packed with a multitude of video editing, audio editing, and compositing tools and assets. With the new 15.2 update, Blackmagic aims to bring some new
Like most video editing platforms, Premiere Pro CC includes a plethora of editing features and plugins one of which being the crop effect. Unlike Photoshop where cropping affects the canvas and/or the dimensions of your particular project, in Premiere, this effect works as a uniform mask-like tool
Of the many video editing applications available on the market these days and besides the quickly advancing DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro CC and Final Cut Pro X are still dominating as a preferred go-to option in the world of creative professionals in 2018. With drastically different design
If you’ve ever used a full frame camera like the Sony A7III, you’ll know that one of the biggest advantages of having access to such a large sensor is the fact that getting a wide field of view has never been easier. In some cases, however, you
Creating fancy transitions inside of Premiere Pro CC doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to spend a ton of cash for expensive preset packs from third-party companies that promise you to get some never seen effects with a single click. Instead, by understanding the tools and assets
The concept of proper exposure may sound simple in theory, but at the same time, it could be pretty challenging to execute in a real-world situation. Newbie filmmakers often have issues finding the proper workflow to expose their cameras correctly not to mention the occasions when they
When it comes to handheld shooting and the associated visual aesthetics, many people tend to believe that there’s nothing fancy nor spectacular referring to this particular style of shooting. Nevertheless, there are still ways to create more dynamic-looking shots in post-production and spice up your footage with
With the advancements in ever-evolving filmmaking technology, gimbals and steadicams have changed the way we shoot smooth, stable footage forever. Despite all the attention given to companies like DJI and Zhiyun for their ubiquitous and intuitive gimbal stabilizers, many have forgotten that it’s still possible to achieve
Color grading video captured with Sony’s proprietary picture profiles can be pretty hectic, especially for new editors. This is mainly because both S-Log and Cine4 produce extremely flat-looking footage that requires a decent amount of time to process in post. However, when it comes to grading clips
In situations when you need to discern between footage captured by enthusiast and seasoned professional, one of the key factors that really makes a difference is shot stability. In recent years, gimbal stabilizers have given indie filmmakers the opportunity to perform exceptionally smooth camera movements without having to
If you’ve ever tried to film commercial fluorescent bulbs or neon signs, you’ll know that one of the most frustrating aspects of these lights is the potential for you to produce footage full of flicker. The issue can get even worse if you tend to shoot slow-motion video in
As of now, support for the Canon EOS C200 Cinema Raw Light footage is still limited in a way. Adobe, for instance, has implemented the functionality in Premiere Pro CC just recently with one of the software’s latest iterations (12.1.0 Build 186). Due to the lack of
The DJI Ronin-S gives filmmakers a multitude of creative possibilities when it comes to complex camera movements so that it’s really hard to pick just a single trick as your favorite cinematic technique. This long and super steady 360-degree roll angle movement, however, is definitely one of
The saying “time is money” applies to all professions, but perhaps none more so than filmmaking. Falling behind on just one project can have a catastrophic domino effect that takes weeks, sometimes months, to claw back from. Naturally, the best defense against this is to not ever
Any filmmaker will tell you that when it comes to shooting video, the quality of your audio is just as important as the visuals. That being said, many productions tend to feel very one-dimensional due to the lack of proper audio mixing and sound design. So, if
Many filmmakers would agree that one of the most intimidating aspects of color grading would be retaining accurate, beautiful-looking skin tones. As you start adding on various LUTs, curves, and other color grading filters, it’s easy to get distracted, causing you to lose the natural appearance of
With improved overall design and enhanced feature set, the ubiquitous Zhiyun Crane 2 provides users with plenty of options as to how they want to operate their camera once it’s mounted on the gimbal itself. Nevertheless, you might be surprised to know that there are even more options
Even the average Joe will tell you that Sony’s S-Log color profile is regarded as one of the most versatile to use in filmmaking. With the great degree of color data gathered, coupled with generous dynamic range, shooting in S-Log 2 or 3 is a very common
When it comes to creative video editing, sometimes utilizing traditional assets such as crossfades or zooms may seem too bland or even boring. Therefore, to create a more engaging montage, you might want to try out pulling off some in-camera video transitions, rather than relying on a
